Killer electrons in space

One of the most hazardous adversaries faced by astronauts, spacecraft, and satellites are so-called "killer electrons." The supercharged electrons may burst with 1,000 times more energy than a dental X-ray, exposing astronauts to massive amounts of radiation and sometimes frying circuitry or degrading solar power arrays. Previously, killer particles were thought to originate in the sun or even outside our solar system. But recently, scientists at Los Alamos National Labs looked closely at the outer radiation belt, about 13,000-16,5000 miles above the Earth, and now believe that the electrons are actually accelerated to "killer" speeds there. The Los Alamos research suggests that magnetic storms and other kinds of "space weather" affect the risk of killer electrons. From National Geographic:

The discovery may aid scientists in ongoing efforts to protect satellites and astronauts from the particles' damaging effects...

"We cannot control this kind of space weather any more than we can control the Earth's weather," (NASA researcher Mike Xapsos said.)

"However, having a better understanding of the process helps us make more accurate predictions of when spacecraft can expect trouble and how to deal with it."

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